China will levy phased fees on US-linked vessels calling at its ports starting next Tuesday, a retaliatory action set to take effect the same day as similar charges that were announced in April by the Office of the United States Trade Representative.
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Having been granted approval by the State Council, China’s cabinet, Beijing will apply the fees to the following groups of vessels: those owned or operated by US enterprises, organisations and individuals; those whose owners or operators are under direct or indirect ownership by US entities, with a stake of at least 25 per cent; and those built by or flagged under the US, the Ministry of Transport said in a statement.
The move comes only a day after China’s Ministry of Commerce unveiled a series of measures expanding the scope of export controls on a variety of items critical to the production of several hi-tech goods, widely viewed as a strategic targeting of weak points in US supply chains.
Those actions, as well as the new port fees, could be brought up at a hotly anticipated meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, expected to be held at the end of the month.
The Chinese government will impose the fees in gradually increasing phases, structured similarly to the US plan: the fee will begin at 400 yuan (US$56) per net ton starting next Tuesday, 640 yuan next April, 880 yuan in April 2027 and 1,120 yuan in April 2028.
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Vessels making multiple calls at Chinese ports will only pay the fee upon first arrival, and no vessel will be charged more than five times in a given year, the statement said, adding that fees will be collected by local maritime authorities under detailed guidance from the transport ministry on implementation.